by Jessica Collins

Created on: June 20, 2008

When I was 21 weeks pregnant, I began to spot blood and went to the emergency room. To my horror, the nurse who examined me informed me that I was 5 centimeters dilated. I had felt no contractions, no indication that anything was happening, and three days earlier I was in my obstetrician's office looking at an ultrasound picture of my son. I gave birth 12 days later, and my son lived five days in the neonatal intensive care unit before succumbing to a lung infection. That is the pain of learning you have incompetent cervix it often takes the loss of a child before a diagnosis is made.

Over a year later I got pregnant again, and I was both excited and nervous. I did not want to lose another baby, and I was prepared to do anything necessary to have a successful pregnancy. At 13 weeks I had a cerclage placed, a short operation where a high-risk pregnancy doctor put a stitch into my weak cervix to help keep it closed for the entire pregnancy. From that point on, I was on some level of bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy. I had doctor's appointments every two weeks, which involved ultrasounds to measure the length of my cervix. The length of my cervix would determine how much activity I could still safely have. I also received weekly progesterone shots in my hips to prevent me from having any contractions that might put pressure on the cervix.

It was a very long pregnancy. I was fortunate that my cervix responded well to the cerclage. I was never put on complete bed rest, so I continued to make my own lunches and take daily showers. But I was not able to do any chores around the house, including vacuuming, laundry and dishes, and I could only go up and down the stairs twice a day. My husband stepped in to keep the house from falling apart around us, family and friends provided several meals, and I did my best to not stress over the steady decline in the state of my home.

Finally, at 36 weeks and 5 days, I went in to the hospital for a scheduled c-section. I had to have a c-section because of how my previous pregnancy had gone, but I know others who have given birth naturally after having their cervical stitch removed. The surgery went smoothly, and my baby girl was born. Her cries were the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.

I intend to have at least one if not two or three more babies. Although I have incompetent cervix, a full-term pregnancy is still possible for me, and my baby girl is proof of that. The cerclage surgery is simple and low-risk, and because of the extra ultrasounds to measure my cervical length, I got to see my baby every couple of weeks. It is important to look to the positives, trust your family and friends to help you when needed, and learn to ignore the small stuff. So what if the mantel over the fireplace hasn't been dusted in three months? You have a perfect little soul growing inside of you, and the safety of that new life is worth taking it easy on the couch for a few months!

Learn more about this author, Jessica Collins.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.